Hadleigh Temple Band

Hadleigh Temple Band & Hadleigh Timbrels
Bandmaster: Ken Hillson & Irene Ivory
Last Night of the Proms
Hadleigh Temple
Saturday 6th March

Bowing to popular demand, the annual concert in aid of the Mayor’s Trust reverted to a Proms Night, resulting in a much greater demand for tickets, and an audience of over 300 people.

It was also decide not to invite any outside guests, but to make use of the band’s own soloists, together with the ever-popular timbrels.

From the Nile to the Thames

The programme opened to the stately sounds of Verdi, with “Grand march from Aida” (arr Denis Wright), evoking something of the pomp and ceremony of ancient Egypt.

After the introductions and prayer, there was the opportunity for the audience to sing along to some of the familiar melodies included in Peter Graham’s “A London Celebration”.

Moving from the atmospheric depiction of boats on the Thames, through Arthur Sullivan’s music for “Yeoman of the Guard”, via Buckingham Palace and “The British Grenadiers”, Noel Coward’s “London Pride”, “A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square”, to the final “Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner” voices could be heard joining in as they watched the Power Point presentation which accompanied the music.

There’s no business like show business

A segment entitled “Music from the Shows” consisted of four songs of aspiration: Bram Chestney was the euphonium soloist in “Hear my prayer”, an arrangement of the melody better known as “Bring him home” from “Les Miserables” (Schonberg). The reduced accompaniment for brass quintet and glockenspiel ensured that the solo line was not overwhelmed, and it made for an effective change from the full band.

This was followed by “Any dream will do” (Lloyd Webber arr Peter Graham) after which flugel player Alex Campbell stepped forward to present “Where is Love?” (Lionel Bart arr Darrol Barry). Another arrangement from the pen of Darrol concluded the set, “I dreamed a dream”, also from “Les Miserables”, which brought some fine, sustained playing from the band.

From the circus to the Tudor Court

The players then had the chance for a breather as the timbrels brought their first item, a brisk display to Paul Drury’s circus-style march “Jubilee”, played to cd accompaniment.

As the applause died down the cornets and trombones of the band moved to the front in preparation for Dudley Bright’s “In Good Company”. Combining Henry VIII’s melody “Pastime with good company” with the praise chorus “Lord, we lift your name up high” the contrast in styles made for a surprisingly effective and exciting number as it built up from the two drums and antiphonal cornets and trombones of the opening.

Time for reflection

A devotional period commenced with the congregational song “Bread of heaven”, using Richard Phillips’ upbeat setting of “Cwm Rhondda”. Lt Col David Phillips brought a scripture reading and thoughts, reflecting on God’s use of the rainbow to indicate his continuing care for mankind, before the band presented Kenneth Downie’s reflective “In the bleak mid-winter”.

Reprise for the timbrels

A few weeks previously, the timbrels had performed “Toccata” with Black Dyke playing Ray Farr’s arrangement. On this occasion the band was Hadleigh, with Ben Still the featured percussionist, and the arrangement was by van Kraeydonck.

The performance, in which the timbrellists, dressed in black, were joined by a colour party with plain red flags, was enhanced by suitable lighting effects, bringing the first half of the programme to a close.

Proms favourites

The timbrels also opened the second half, backed by a wind band version of “Just a closer walk with thee”, and singing the chorus in close harmony before launching into the display proper.

By this stage the audience were ready to join in all the fun of the traditional Proms items, commencing with “Pomp & Circumstance March No 1” (Edward Elgar arr Wright) and then clapping along to “Thunder & Lightning Polka” (Strauss arr Frank Wright).

Crossing the Atlantic, “Stars & Stripes Forever” (Sousa arr Himes) was played with a full dynamic range, with soprano player Dave Harrison being entrusted with the demanding obbligato. This razzmatazz contrasted nicely with Principal Cornet Keith Johnston’s elegant rendition of “Fairest Isle” (Henry Purcell arr Ray Steadman-Allen).

After a brief sojourn to Austria with “Radetsky March” (Strauss arr Pat Ryan), in which there was some friendly competition between the playing of the band and the clapping of the audience, it was time for Henry Wood’s “Fantasia on British Sea Songs” (arr Denis Wright).

Anthony Sommerville was featured in the tender “Tom Bowling”, Alex Campbell joined the trombones in “Spanish Ladies” and Keith Johnston represented “Jack the Lad” which, as well as being encored, also saw a very passable “Hornpipe” danced by one member of the audience.

Home-grown Britannias – two for the price of one!

In the absence of any outside guests, it fell to two members of the band to share the singing of “Rule Britannia”, with Marion Still and Catherine Loftus appearing draped in union flags.

The audience joined in heartily with the chorus, as they did with “Jerusalem” (Parry arr Jakeway) and the “National Anthem”, preceded by Frank Wright’s fanfare.

Both the Mayor of Castle Point and the Bandmaster expressed their thanks to those who had participated, not least the audience who had contributed so much to the success of the evening.

Peter Bale

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